1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods of teaching and devices for improving a golfer""s skill and ability, and more specifically, for designating proper setup position for swinging a golf club and for monitoring the position of a user""s head during swinging of the club.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is a sport that has become exceedingly popular all over the world. It is estimated that about two million people in the United States alone take up the game of golf every year. However, about as many people leave the game each year, largely because they are disappointed and frustrated over their inability to improve their golf technique. It is generally believed by leading golf instructors that it is difficult to improve at golf because (a) the essential fundamentals of a good golf swing feel unnatural to our bodies, (b) all natural instincts of students are absolutely wrong, (c) correct habits must be practiced over and over again to develop new and correct habits (xe2x80x9cmuscle-memoryxe2x80x9d) and (d) while practicing to develop new muscle-memory, students must not be practicing bad habits that result in bad muscle-memory that will eventually have to be unlearned. As generally believed by leading instructors, bad muscle-memory is harder to unlearn than it is to learn good muscle-memory from the start.
To improve their abilities, many golfers take lessons from professional golf instructors. Although such lessons can teach an individual the fundamental skills needed to play the game, these golfers are most often not able to improve their golf club swing as much as desired because of a lack of guidance when practicing outside of the instructional setting. Most often students practicing without an instructor revert to, and practice, what feels natural but is in reality bad technique, thereby developing bad muscle-memory. As an alternative to lessons, self-instruction devices have been developed by others to allow golfers to improve their game by themselves. This approach has a downside in that such devices must be used in the proper fashion to create positive results, which is often difficult for a beginning or high handicap golfer who may have already developed bad habits. Further, even if used properly, these devices are often not proven to aid in proper development of a golfer""s club swing technique because, as believed by leading instructors, golf is not a sport that can be self-taught; only with good coaching can the naturally wrong instincts be replaced with the correct fundamentals that initially feel instinctively wrong.
Finally, a deficiency with both professional lessons and self-instruction devices is a lack of a reliable means for monitoring correct xe2x80x9csetup positionxe2x80x9d and monitoring correct balance during the entire swing. Without a way to monitor correct xe2x80x9csetupxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbalancexe2x80x9d, most students fail to practice them correctly to develop the correct and necessary muscle-memory. Instead they develop bad muscle-memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Bergman describes a practice mat for golfers that indicates the suggested placement of the feet of a golfer and a golf ball to be hit, the proper alignment of a golf club in relation to the feet of the golfer and the golf ball, and the suggested direction of travel of the head of the golf club. The mat has a plurality of outlines in the shape of a foot to indicate the suggested foot placement based on the chosen golf club. Also, numerous rectangles are indicated on the mat for placement of the golf ball based on the chosen golf club. However, the practice mat of Bergman does not provide a means for the user to monitor and isolate any position of his or her body during swinging of a golf club, nor does it aid in prohibiting a golfer from introducing excessive motion sideways, up or down into his or her technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Light shows a sports training device having a full length mirror to reflect the image of a user and a combined television monitor and video cassette player to depict the optimal positioning and technique of a participant in the selected sports activity. Thus, a golfer could view his or her image in the mirror while watching a monitor below the mirror show the proper way to swing a golf club. This device does not teach proper foot positioning or proper club alignment for swinging a club, nor does it provide a means for a golf instructor to designate as such. It is also doubtful that a user of the device could view a monitor showing an ideal golf swing while observing his or her own swing in a full length mirror. Further, the large mirror size and lack of proper indicia would not allow the device to properly isolate a golfer""s excessive motion sideways, up or down to enable correction of a flawed golf club swing. This device also lacks convenient portability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,307 of Krene describes a golf training device comprising a platform on which a golfer stands, a platform upon which a golf ball placement indicating means is located, and a mirror extending along the length, and between, the two platforms to enable the user to see his or her golf club swing as they hit the golf ball located on the adjacent platform. The device comprises three units that are hinged together along longitudinal edges. However, Krene does not teach a device that can be used in conjunction with golf instruction having indicating means capable of being adjusted to tailor such a device to the needs of a specific golfer. The foot placement and ball placement means not adjustable in position or angle depending on the needs of a particular user. The mirror in the Krene invention is excessively large and has longitudinal lines that would be ineffective at isolating a small portion of a user""s swing, preventing the user from pinpointing excessive lateral and/or vertical motion in his or her swing. Further, a user of the Krene device could not accurately view a small portion of his or her image while focusing on a golf ball to be hit off of a platform adjacent to the mirror.
As an improvement over these methods and devices of instruction, it would be desirable to have a device and instruction kit that would ideally be used along with proper professional golf lessons. The device would have indicating means that can be adjusted by a instructor to ensure each individual user observed proper positioning form when preparing to swing a golf club. Such a device should also allow users to monitor and isolate a specific component of their swing, namely excessive motion sideways, up or down, (i.e. lateral and vertical motion) whether in the company of an instructor or not, to ensure that proper technique is being used. A further benefit of such a device would be portability such that the device can be used in either the location where instruction is taking place or wherever the user desires to practice his or her golf swing. Further, an instruction manual can be provided with the device to enable a golfer to successfully practice his or her golf club swing frequently at any location to correctly muscle-memorize what a golf instructor taught during each of a series of lessons. Although the concept of a prescribed program of at-home practice in slow motion without a ball is almost totally unused today, new research shows that it was frequently prescribed by the most respected instructors of previous generations. Thus, a combination device and instruction manual would be an addition to the at-home practice prescribed in earlier generations. Making it easy for students to practice and develop muscle-memory xe2x80x9cat-homexe2x80x9d or away from the formal instructional setting is of great importance because so few students find it possible to take lessons or go to a practice range away from home as often as is necessary to develop accurate and long lasting muscle-memory.
Thus, what is needed is a device that can be used in conjunction with an overall golf instructional program to aid a golfer in developing a proper golf swing. The device would ideally designate proper setup positioning and alignment for a user""s feet, hands, head, center of the body and golf club handle position (distance from the body) and the angle of the shaft. A simulated golf ball marker can be included with the device, and is placed on the mat to point to a position off the mat indicating where a golf ball should be placed to help the student practice the shaft angle recommended by the instructor. A mirror would also be included with the device to allow the golfers to isolate and monitor the position of their heads, specifically their eyes, while swinging a practice golf club to ensure that head movement does not exceed the instructor""s recommendations. Also vitally important to the design of the device is the ability of a golf instructor to adjust the position indicators, the mirror and the golf ball marker based upon the individual needs of the user, or as the muscle flexibility of the golfer increases with practice. Further, an instructional manual can be used in conjunction with the device such that the user is able to properly replicate the skills learned during each lesson taught by the golf instructor and shown in the manual.
The present invention provides a golf instructional device that designates proper setup positioning for swinging a golf club and allows for monitoring of the location of a user""s head while swinging the club when practicing without a ball. The device, or mat, has a surface upon which a user stands and upon which specific foot and club positioning markers are located. A mirror is coupled to the mat and is preferably located adjacent to the mat surface. The markers are designed to be removably attached to the mat surface. Both the markers and the mirror are adjustable to allow a golf instructor to indicate proper location and angle for the user to position themselves and the club which they are swinging. The mirror is of a chosen size such that when tilted to the proper angle by the instructor, the user can essentially only see his or her eyes during a substantial part of the user""s golf swing if such a swing demonstrates the proper form to eliminate excessive lateral and/or vertical motion. Additionally, a centering marker, a golf ball marker, and a wedge may be removably attached to the mat surface. The centering marker further pinpoints the proper setup position of the user; the golf ball marker indicates a position off the mat where a golf ball is to be placed such that a golf club head is properly positioned at setup immediately aft of the ball; and the wedge is placed under a portion of the user""s back foot to aid in reducing excessive lateral and/or vertical motion in the user""s swing. A loop and toggle device, or other similar closure device, can be provided to allow the mat to be folded and conveniently carried for transporting the mat between the location of golf instruction and another location where the user desires to practice his or her golf swing. An instructional manual can also be provided to allow the students to, in conjunction with the positioning markers and mirror as arranged by a golf instructor on or adjacent to the mat, replicate the skills learned in a golf lesson at any location the user desires. Further, the manual could be used as a tool to reinforce a proper golf club swing after the user has learned how to xe2x80x9cmuscle-memorizexe2x80x9d or develop good habits with the device.
The golf instruction device and instruction manual of the present invention work together to increase the permanency and speed of teaching and learning a fundamentally correct golf swing. The mat both permits an instructor to designate customized and correct pre-swing setup positioning for the student, and permits the student to monitor the correctness of certain critical segments of the swing when practicing alone at home. The instruction manual describes and illustrates the pre-swing setup and the swing steps the instructor teaches in a series of lessons which the student practices xe2x80x9cat-homexe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9cat-homexe2x80x9d practice is ideally in slow-motion without a ball. The practice is effective with a regular length club or with an indoor short club used where swing space is limited. The lessons in the manual are organized to conform with what the instructor teaches in each of the series of instructor-conducted lessons. The lessons are also organized so the student develops good muscle-memory in stages without simultaneously developing bad muscle-memory.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide: a golf instructional device that is easily adjustable by the instructor to allow the designation of proper setup positioning depending on the needs of a particular user. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device that allows the user to specifically and reliably monitor excessive lateral and/or vertical motion in his or her golf club swing. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a device and instructional manual that allows the user to replicate at any location what was learned from the instructor during lessons, such a device and instructional manual being light weight, durable, simple to use and conveniently portable.
Other advantages and components of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification and wherein are set forth exemplary embodiments of the present invention to illustrate various objects and features thereof.